THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREWS…48

Encouragement to Steadfastness from God’s Faithfulness to His Word and Oath CONTINUES. Heb. 6:9-12

“Though we thus speak” (v. 9). “The reference is to what the apostle had said about apostates in vv. 6, 8, and which had been written to these Hebrews as a solemn and searching warning for them to take to hear. In a great house, there are vessels of wood and stone, as well as of gold and silver. All that eat outwardly of the bread of life, do not feed on the hidden manna. All that have their names enrolled in the church’s book, may yet not have them written in the Lamb’s book.” Pink Arthur W

For God is not unrighteous. God will do no wrong. He will not forget or fail to reward the endeavours of his people to promote his glory, and to do good. Deut. 32:4, Rom. 3:4, 5, 2Thess. 1:6, 7, 2Ti. 4:8. The ground on which his “persuasion” rested, and that was, the unchanging faithfulness of God toward His covenant promises unto His people. 1Jn 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins”. God is “faithful” to His covenant engagements with us in the person of His Son. The very justice of God is engaged on the behalf of those whom Christ redeemed. His veracity towards us is pledged: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” Tit. 1:2. And because God is immutable, without variableness or shadow of turning, He cannot go back on His own oath: “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” Mal. 3:6. “He which hath begun a good work in you will finish it” Phil. 1:6. Pink A.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your works”. Ps. 20:3, Jer. 2:2, 3; 18:20, Act. 10:4, 31. “God does not pay us a debt, but performs what He has of Himself freely promised, and not so much on our works, as on His own grace in our works; nay, He looks not so much on our works, as on His own grace in our works. And this is to be ‘righteous’, for He cannot deny Himself … God is righteous in recompensing works, because He is true and faithful; and He has made Himself a debtor to us, not by receiving anything from us, but, as Augustine says, by freely promising all things” John Calvin. Your works. Gal. 5:6, 13, 1Thess. 1:3, 1Jn. 3:17, 18. We believe the reference here is to their faith. First, because he is here speaking of the “things that accompany salvation”, and faith is inseparable therefrom. Second, because faith “worketh by love” Gal. 5:6, and the very next thing mentioned in our verse is their “labor of love”. Third, because in 1Thess. 1:3 we read of the “work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope. “Your work”. They had been regenerated unto good works Eph. 2:10. “Your faith and the labor of love”. Carefully ponder 1Jn 3:16–19; 4:7–12. “Mutual love among believers is a fruit of the Spirit of holiness. The bond of entire spiritual affection, on the account of their joint interest in Christ; and participation of the same, new, divine, spiritual nature from God, they do value, delight, and rejoice in one another, and are mutually helpful in a constant discharge of all those duties whereby their eternal, spiritual and temporal good may be promoted” Dr. John Owen. Note “labor of love”: a lazy love, like that of Jas 2:15, 16, is no evidence of saving faith. True love is active, diligent, untiring.